Abstract

Research shows that driving performance deteriorates during a mobile phone conversation, yet the precise conditions under which interference occurs remains unclear. This study varied the participants' level of emotional involvement in a conversation, while keeping the conversation similar in content for all participants. Twenty-six participants (13 spider phobic), completed a simulated driving task, either undistracted or while conversing on the subject of spiders. Spider phobics demonstrated significantly higher cognitive workload, made more driving errors, than non-phobics, and showed visual tunnelling. The type of conversation engaged in affects driver performance: the more emotionally-involving a conversation, the greater its potential for distraction.